Is one who falls into religious innovation considered an innovator?

The questioner : The second question. Shaykh, the time is running out, as I think it is about eight o'clock and we have to go to the airport, so we must prepare ourselves.

The Shaykh : What is this good news?

The questioner : Allah is the Prevailing, O Shaykh. We wish we could stay for many hours.

The Shaykh : But we want to ask you to repeat this visit, if Allah wills, soon, so that the session, if Allah wills, will be more beneficial for everyone.

The questioner : Regarding what we see, we may differ from some of our brothers in Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He. We see that one who falls into religious innovation cannot be called an innovator, because falling into religious innovation does not make one an innovator. One may fall into it through independent legal reasoning, as many scholars have done. But many of our brothers, if a person falls into a religious innovation, or for example exercises independent legal reasoning on an issue and agrees with some scholars while others consider it a religious innovation, they label him an innovator and go as far as boycotting him. Is this view correct, or?

The Shaykh : This question has been asked to us by you many times. It is strange that you do not know the answer, or that you know it but want to hear what I say. You do not know the answer with your own knowledge, not that you do not know my answer. My answer is recorded on many tapes, and I can answer you in the style of the wise.

The questioner : Therefore, there are some issues that, in my opinion, should be answered after consulting withThe questioner : In itself, it is not required that one simply asks a person and then you answer; but consultation sometimes clarifies the matter.
Al-Halabi : No, you are not advising; you are being careful.

The Shaykh : But in any case, it is an acceptable suggestion, and we are committed to it, if Allah wills. But I do not think you think that implementing ideas can be facilitated for a person at every moment, in every minute, is that right or not?

The questioner : Correct.

The Shaykh : Okay, I return to say to you: I wanted to say that I will answer you in a style I hope is the style of the wise. Our brothers here know that I always say that one who falls into disbelief has not committed disbelief against him. Is disbelief greater, or is it religious innovation?

The questioner : Disbelief.

The Shaykh : If you take the answer, if Allah wills.

The questioner : A hint is enough for the intelligent.

The Shaykh : And a hint is enough for the free man. We have stated in some of what we have written that some of the imams fell into religious innovation. This statement is not an innovation of mine; rather, I have quoted it from Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah. Nevertheless, we do not say that those who fell into religious innovation are innovators. Those you are referring to are a proof of what I told you earlier: not everyone who belongs to the Salafi call and is generally a Salafi is a Salafi in the details, whether in the scholarly aspect or the practical application aspect. There is no necessary connection between them. Therefore, we must teach the people.